Role Model

My girl is finishing up a dance camp this week, and she has loved every minute of it. It has been a great chance for her to test out some of the styles and classes available for her to pursue, and she’s made new friends and had a blast.

We had a bit of a rocky start, a great portion of which my girl was blissfully unaware. You see, I got her home from a weekend visit to LA last Sunday evening, and she was set to start camp Monday morning. I had grabbed up a voucher months earlier when I saw that it was being offered by the studio she attends and deeply loves. After making that sage purchase, I didn’t give the voucher another thought until just before bedtime on Sunday night. At that time, I thought about it long enough to decide that I should print it so she and Bill would have a receipt in hand since he would be driving her.  Here’s how I described what transpired to friends via messenger the next day around noon:

so last night clara getting all ready for dance camp, very excited. I decided to print the voucher so bill would have a piece of paper to bring for drop off cuz clueless
i notice that voucher says you have to reserve space at dance studio 30 days in advance. I'm all
fuuuuuuuuuck
I figured it would be fine, they take tons of kids and couldn't imagine it filling up, but i stressed about it all night long
call them at 6am and leave a long idiotic message
call back at 7
then at 8
camp starts at 845
they answered at 830 like, oh that camp isn't happening, we didn't have enough sign ups
meanwhile clara getting dressed, packing lunch
me bashing my head into the brick wall
but they had a camp starting at other location, and she was on the list cuz voucher
clara PISSED because she knows people from school at the other location and that's so embarassing
i told her she could call me at lunch if it was awful and i'd get her
I think I'm in the clear smile emoticon

LOLOLOL all the livelong day. So yeah, rocky start, but later that day she texted me: “it was so much fun! Sorry for being so mean this morning (toothy smile emoticon)”.

The other thing that happened when I looked at the voucher was that my girl had her first chance to read the camp description:

Our dance camps will include tap, jazz, tumbling, hip hop, break dancing, ballet, square dancing, hula, modeling, arts and crafts, and more!!

She wrinkled up her nose and said: “modeling?” 

I offhandedly replied that there must be some art component, that’s cool. Modeling and arts & crafts. Yay camp.

But then on Wednesday she brought home a flier saying that there was going to be a modeling class the next day, and the girls were to bring in an outfit and accessories for the class.

Screeeeeech. Hubba hubba whatnow? Like MODEL modeling? What the everliving.

My girl was chagrined. She thought this was SO STUPID and sprained her very eyeballs rolling them so hard while we discussed it. I acted normal(ish) on the outside, but was raging deep down inside where it counts. Raging. Modeling?

I asked what she planned to bring, just to test the waters. She had no clue eyeroll eyeroll sprain

I suggested that she did not have to do it, she could just say that she would rather not.

Why? She asked.

Well, you could just say that you are not interested in being objectified based on your physical appearance and trained to flaunt and expose your body for superficial approval, and perhaps the opportunity to teach 8-16 year old girls about how they carry and present themselves would be better  served by continuing the practice of DANCING during goddamn dance camp. I don’t know, something like that? Honey? What do you think.

OR, you could have fun with it, and give the exercise exactly as much attention as it deserves.

I double dog dared her to wear her batman bigsuit, with the cape as a complimentary accessory.

She accepted. She did it. When it was time for modeling class she went in to the dressing room to change into her fashionable outfit, and came out in a full body batsuit with an attached yellow cape.

She pranced down the catwalk, stopping to pose at three specifically prearranged vantage points.

This was all practice for the parent show that takes place today, on the last day of camp. And you know what? Half of the girls changed their plan and are now going to come in pajamas.

As for the future? I think we’ll be okay.